A substantially complete reciprocating slat conveyor system is disclosed by my U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,524, granted Nov. 24, 1992 and entitled Reciprocating Floor Conveyor. A reciprocating slat conveyor comprises a plurality of floor slats mounted adjacent each other for longitudinal reciprocation. The typical operation of a reciprocating slat conveyor is illustrated in my aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,524, FIGS. 2-6. The floor slats are divided into three sets, identified by the numerals "1", "2", and "3", respectively. The slats are arranged in a plurality of groups, with each group including adjacent slats, one from each set. Translation of a load "L" is accomplished by the simultaneous movement of all three sets of slats. The slats are then retracted, one set at a time. The conveyor includes three transverse drive beams, one for each set of slats. The slats of each set are connected to the corresponding drive beam by a plurality of connectors attached to the drive beam. Each drive beam is connected to a drive motor for selectively reciprocating the slats. The slats are also supported by bearings positioned over longitudinal guide beams.
FIG. 1 shows a prior art conveyor having a drive assembly including a frame 2, three drive units 4, three transverse drive beams 6, and connectors 8. Referring to FIG. 1, in the conventional procedure for installing a reciprocating slat conveyor, the drive assembly is first installed. Then, the conveyor slats are positioned above the drive assembly. A worker gets below the drive assembly and drills upwardly through holes in the connectors 8 to form corresponding holes in each slat. Then, a nut is held in place below the connector 8 while a bolt is inserted through the drilled slat hole from above the slat and is threaded into the nut. This conventional procedure is cumbersome due to the need to drill metal parts at a location removed from the fabrication facility, and the necessity for a worker to access the area below the drive assembly.